[Official] Round 17: Korean Grand Prix

[frostie]

South Korea is home to one of the most fearsome roller coasters in the world and this weekend the adrenaline junkies of Formula 1 will visit Yeongam for the first time.

The Korean Grand Prix has been the most controversial race of the season after much speculation as to whether the race would actually take place. On the Tuesday following the Japanese Grand Prix it was finally confirmed that the Korean International Circuit met “acceptable” standards to FIA Safety Delegate Charlie Whiting.

While the circuit meets the standards expected to host a Grand Prix it will only be after the chequered flag drops on Sunday that organisers can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The final layer of tarmac was laid just two and a half weeks prior to the race and as a result the surface is the biggest mark that awaits teams this weekend. Generally it takes three weeks for the tarmac to cure on a race track so until the race ends a lot of attention will be paid to the quality of the road surface. It would not be surprising to see oils coming to the fore once cars take to the track in anger on Friday.

One way or another the inaugural Korean Grand Prix will be remembered in Formula 1 circles for a long time.

The Circuit

The circuit was, as per usual, designed by Herman Tilke and features many of the features that have made the German infamous amongst fans. Tilke’s has a history of hit and miss circuits, for every Istanbul there are numerous tracks that have been hated by fans and drivers alike. Korea though should be positively received by drivers for the challenge it offers to drivers.

The lap starts with braking from 190mph into a slow second gear left hander before building speed through turn 2, this should be little more than an acceleration zone, as drivers reach top speed into what should be the slowest corner of the lap. The 40mph right hand hairpin is sure to be one of the favourite overtaking places on the circuit. The oncoming straight marks the end of the first sector of the lap. With three high speed straights it is clear that McLaren and Ferrari will be in the ascendency for the opening portion of the lap.

Out of turn 3 drivers once more accelerate to somewhere in the region of 190mph before braking into a tight right hander that leads instantly to a left and right sequence of corners. This area of the circuit is where Red Bull will look to flex its muscles with Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel sure to feel confident in the Renault engine car through this slow speed series of bends before entering the final sector of the lap.

The next complex looks set to be one that captures the imagination of the drivers as they will be forced to thread the eye of a needle at 150mph through a fast right, left combination before braking into turn 9. In future the final sector of the lap will thread its way around a vibrant city centre, this year though it will wind its way past cranes and building sites!

Walls line the end of the lap and leave little room for error as drivers make their way to the start finish line to start another lap of the Korean International Circuit. With low grip expected throughout the weekend the challenge for drivers will be to stay on the track, overtaking will be exceptionally difficult due to the newly laid surface so even though there are numerous potential overtaking areas, it remains to be seen if drivers will be able to avail of the opportunities.

What can we expect this weekend?

The title battle is finely poised and even though Mark Webber extended his lead at the head of the standings it is clear that the momentum within Red Bull is now favouring Sebastian Vettel after the German outperformed his teammate in the last three races.

Last time out in Suzuka there was nothing to choose between the pair but with Vettel closing the gap in the championship it is clear that Webber’s title hopes are reaching a critical junction and that he needs to make a stand. He said after Suzuka that he knows he needs to win again, this weekend would be the perfect opportunity for the Australian to show that he is ready to win the title. His season has been punctuated with statement wins in Barcelona, Monaco and Silverstone. Moments when he was under the most severe pressure to perform, Korea will require another performance of that variety if he is to win the title.

Vettel and Fernando Alonso on the other hand come to Korea on the crest of a confidence wave. The pair have been the form drivers since Monza and even though Alonso lost ground in Japan, given the advantage that Red Bull enjoyed at Suzuka it is clear that he achieved as much as possible. Korea looks like being a circuit that offers no one a significant car advantage so this weekend will come down to qualifying and maximising the potential of the package, after Alonso’s performance in Singapore he will confident of another race win.

In Singapore Red Bull enjoyed a superior car but Alonso managed to qualify on pole after Vettel made numerous errors on his fastest lap. This ability to pressure his opponents into mistakes is one of the key ingredients that make Alonso such a formidable opponent.

With Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button falling further adrift in the title chase after poor weekends in Japan the most recent world champions find themselves on the outside looking in at the title fight. They are still in the hunt for the championship but with time running out they have fallen more than a race win behind their rivals. It’s not over yet for the Englishmen but they know that this race will be their Waterloo.

Robert Kubica has been arguably the best performer on the grid this season. The Renault driver has consistently been punching above the weight of his machinery and after qualifying on the second row last time out the Polish driver’s confidence will be sky high. Even though his Japanese race ended with three wheels on his wagon Kubica will view this weekend as yet another chance to show just how good he is.

Behind the usual suspects will be the Mercedes. The team has underperformed all season and while it was exciting to see Schumacher battle hard at Suzuka the team has flattered to deceive all season; as a result they will once more be racing with the Williams’ this weekend. Rubens Barrichello has been a solid performer this season and while Nico Hülkenberg is under pressure to retain his drive for next season the young German has also raced well. The team’s financial future may be in doubt but their continued upturn in on track performance has been very encouraging this year.

After months of speculation Korea will get the chance to show that the faith the FIA has in the organisers was not misplaced. This weekend will be one of the most significant of the season both in championship terms but also in publicity terms for the FIA. With announcements seemingly every month of F1’s ventures into a new country it is imperative that each new race succeeds otherwise the traditional fans will grow dissatisfied to lose race in Europe. It is a fine line to thread but F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone has always shown great balance in these situations.

While just a few weeks ago this race seemed to have stalled before making it to the start line, now the inaugural Korean Grand Prix will take place with numerous key storylines to play out...the drama of the build up has mirrored the drama of the season, hopefully for all concerned the race is a success!

This preview is taken from my website

BBC Schedule

Friday 22 October

Practice one: 0155-0335, BBC Red Button

Practice two: 0555-0735, BBC Red Button

Saturday 23 October

Practice three: 0255-0405, BBC Red Button

Qualifying: 0500-0730, BBC One

Qualifying re-run: 1300-1415, BBC One

Sunday 24 October

Race: 0600-0915, BBC One

Race re-run: 1300-1515, BBC One

Misc

Weather

Chatroom

[Bononi]

Thanks for your effort Frostie, always a nice intro !

[Born Racer]

Originally Posted by frostie

He said after Suzuka that he knows he needs to win again, this weekend would be the perfect opportunity for the Australian to show that he is ready to win the title. His season has been punctuated with statement wins in Barcelona, Monaco and Silverstone. Moments when he was under the most severe pressure to perform, Korea will require another performance of that variety if he is to win the title.

I'd agree with this. If Alonso and Vettel do turn out to be the main contenders, finishing every race well up there, Webber cannot sit back, and the only points game he can play will be to reach maximum points at a given race.

I'm also looking forward to seeing what Kobayashi can do again.

[Adam43]

Thanks frostie

[phoenix]

Although marginal, I think this is overall a Red Bull circuit - the only doubt in my mind is between turns 2 and 4 where straight line speed may be an issue. However, at Spa, that did not seem to be a problem for the Red Bulls.....

Barring errors I therefore expect a Red Bull 1-2. Speculating on the start and finishing order is a lottery of course, though in my opinion the weight of recent evidence gives both to Vettel.....

[strider]

Sorry, the link wouldn't work, but they were painting the grid markings on the track today!

[Jamesy-18]

Originally Posted by strider

[http://www.*******************/previ...kor42.jpg]Read the description on the right[/URL]. Not very encouraging, is it?

Especially not when the link is dead.

[mac]

I think Alonso will take this one.

[strider]

Originally Posted by Jamesy-18

Especially not when the link is dead.

That's why I amended it. It was just a photo of grid markings being painted on the surface today.

[TF110]

I got McLaren winning this race. It's long overdue a win. They could have had one in Monza but Hamilton had a mishap. Japan he should have been on the podium as well as in Singapore, but this race is high speed, slow corners, only 2 parts of the track are twisty bits. The rest is high speed slow corner, acceleration, Hamilton is good at overtaking at braking points. I expect him to dice it out at the front. Red Bull will be strong, but not on the straights, the LONGEST straight in F1. F-Duct here we go.

[Purist]

TF110, no, Korea has but the third longest true straight in F1:
1. Monza- 1185m
2. Abu Dhabi- 1173m
3. Yeongam- 1150m

If the Japanese GP alternated, then we'd be faced every other year with the 1476m monster at Fuji.

However, when you start figuring out the longest flat-out runs in F1, I'm quite certain that Korea doesn't even make the top 10. Spa has the two longest flat-out stretches in F1, including a whopping run of at least 1865m at full throttle. Monza has two or three of the top 10-12. Interlagos, Shanghai, Suzuka, and Istanbul all have a flat-out run of 1200m or more. And Catalunya has a flat-out stretch of more than 1100m.

The actual straight at Korea is quoted at 1150m, and even with that little jot from Turn 1, you don't get much more than 1200m to work with. Subtract what you need for the braking zone, and you're probably down around the longest flat-out blast at Bahrain, which is 1050m.

As for who will be most competitive, this is still a Red Bull track I would say. The ONLY place the F-duct will do much good is from Turn 1 to 3. Turns 16 and 17 mean that handling will be as important in having speed past the pits as is low drag, at least up until the point where you cross the start/finish line. The F-duck might get you a little something just heading into Turn 1. The support pit straight isn't long enough at high enough speed for the McLaren to be able to do much. And from Turn 4 around through Turn 17, it's Red Bull's territory, and that is a HUGE portion of the lap. Besides, regardless of how the cars perform relative to one another, it's highly unlikely that you'll be able to overtake once you've entered the second part of Turn 11 and around until you hit the pit straight.

Just my own rough head math mixed with the simulated figures, but I'm guessing these will be the various top speeds of note on the lap.
1. 315km/h (196mph) into Turn 3
2. ~300km/h (~185mph) into Turn 1
3. ~280km/h (~175mph) into Turn 9
4. ~275km/h (~170mph) into Turn 4

Going into Turn 3 is all about the straight. Getting into Turn 1, however, is all about how well you get through Turns 16 and 17, and therefore how much speed you carry onto the pit straight. The support pit straight is all about the mechanical launch out of Turn 3, and you won't be going fast enough for long enough for a lower drag setup to take much of any effect. Into Turn 9 requires a good launch out of 6, but also, good, high-speed handling through 7 and 8, which I suspect will be somewhat quicker than the simulations seem to show.

[TF110]

I've read it was the longest straight in F1. Obviously not if your information is right.

Out of the last turns, I'm pretty sure they will lift a bit, but through the last little section they'll retain a good amount of speed, so I see the start/finish straight having speeds rival those of the straight out of turn 2. And any straight away is potential F-duct usage. They even use it around some flat out turns. Kubica was seen using the f-duct in places you wouldn't think they'd use it, it stalls the wing, but there is still plenty of grip from the tires and other parts of the car producing downforce.

[frostie]

I was reading the posts earlier on and it's tough to argue with the logic that this will be a Red Bull track(every track bar Monza has been one!) but even if they qualify at the front the race is far from over.

I think this track has the potential, like Spa, for Red Bull to qualify on pole but with the long straight occuring so soon in the lap its far from a foregone conclusion as to who will win. If McLaren or Ferrari have a sniff of the Red Bull out of turn one(the first lap is their best chance) they should be able to overtake down the straight into Turn 3.

Red Bull might well have a faster car in clean air but if Alonso or the McLaren's can get track position that advantage may become irrelevant, at least until the pit stops. We saw once again in Singapore that Alonso won't be rattled into a mistake by a faster Red Bull and he's going to relish the opportunity to go toe to toe with them again.

[Grandpa_Rob]

Originally Posted by mac

I think Alonso will take this one.

Got a funny feeling your right

[phoenix]

Don't forget Red Bull also have an F-duct which they have been working to improve since it first appeared - so who know, with their obvious aero expertise it may well work better now that any of the others. Alonso is obviously a contender though.

We shall soon find out!

[strider]

McLaren are also supposed to have a revised or double F-duct, but given their success rate when introducing new items it could be the legendary Fuct.

[stripedcat]

Originally Posted by strider

McLaren are also supposed to have a revised or double F-duct, but given their success rate when introducing new items it could be the legendary Fuct.

Yeah that does seem to sum up most of McLaren's improvements to their cars this season, strider.

I expect this to be a Red Bull circuit. They will probably take a 1-2. It could look interesting if Webber doesn't win this weekend.

Alonso will be close, but his Ferrari doesn't have the pace of the Red Bull, plus his engine supply might start counting against him.

From the BBC weather guide it looks like there will be rain on Sunday. If there is, it could spice things up.

As for the track, well it doesn't get me that excited. Still it is better than a lot of previous Tilke tracks. We'll have to see how things pan out on Sunday.

[phoenix]

Originally Posted by strider

McLaren are also supposed to have a revised or double F-duct, but given their success rate when introducing new items it could be the legendary Fuct.

Do you mean the are double F-uct, or both F-uct?

[strider]

Originally Posted by phoenix

Do you mean the are double F-uct, or both F-uct?

It could be both, but the two drivers don't always go the same way on the new stuff so almost anything is possible.

[ghinzani]

Is practice going to be on the BBC website? It doesnt seem that clear from how Im reading it. Hope it is.

[ghinzani]

ah looks like things are happening - think I was in the wrong place...

[ghinzani]

No pics but Radio5 live working.

[tlongman]

SPEED channel over here in the states is streaming 1st practice right now. No commentary though.

http://stream.speedtv.com/

[ghinzani]

Originally Posted by tlongman

SPEED channel over here in the states is streaming 1st practice right now. No commentary though.

http://stream.speedtv.com/

Thanks!

[domhnall]

Layout seems good. Sick of tarmac run off areas though.